Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat (Italian: Corrado del Monferrato; c. 1140 – 1192) was an Italian nobleman, son of William of Montferrat, and one of two rival claimants to the title of King of Jerusalem from 1190 to 1192 as Conrad I.
He contested the rule of Guy of Lusignan, who had previously reigned unopposed, and was briefly recognised as the sole King of Jerusalem in 1192, shortly before his death. The basis of Conrad's claim was that Guy was technically only king-consort to the legitimate queen, Sibylla, who had died in 1190, theoretically making Sibylla's sister Isabella – to whom Conrad was married – the new queen.
Biography[edit | edit source]
During the Third Crusade, Conrad frequently clashed with King Richard the Lionheart on various matters. Although they were broadly civil towards each other in public, it was believed by many that the two secretly plotted against one another.[1]
After the Crusaders took Acre, Conrad's father William had nearly three thousand Saracens executed, infuriating Richard, who had intended to release them in exchange for his own men. Following this incident, Conrad returned to Tyre, while Richard compelled William to remain in Acre. With William there, Richard could prevent Conrad from acting out against him.[2]
As the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad discovered that William plotted against Richard, he believed that it was in order to claim Acre for Conrad. After being struck down by Altaïr, a dying William denied any intentions of aiding Conrad, proclaiming his son to be an "arse, unfit to lead his host, let alone a kingdom".[2]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed producer Jade Raymond revealed that they had originally planned to have Conrad in the game. [citation needed] Their research indicated that he wasn't killed in 1191, but William was located in Acre in the same period. In order to maintain the historical accuracy of the project, William was inserted into the game instead.
- William's assassination in the game was also inspired by Conrad's historical death at the hands of the Assassins.
- In Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade, Conrad is referred to as Conrad de Montferrat and misidentified as a Frenchman.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed (first mentioned)
- Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade (mentioned only)
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)